When you think about best handball stories from Slovenia, in the last 30 years you can certainly speak about RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko and RK Krim Mercator, but if you go deeper and try to look handball through children activation, fun and memorable moments, than Slovenian, and not only Slovenian institution is European handball festival – EUROFEST, which will be held next summer 28th years in a row!

And not only EUROFEST, which is traditionaly taking place in the first week of July, but his “younger brother” Koper Handball Cup during the Easter, gathering for many years a lot of teams who are more than satisfied with the level of organization in the handball center at Adriatic Coast.

The conceptual creator of two projects known throughout Europe, Tone Baric, is again trying to attract new teams with various innovations and to make the old ones in Koper unforgettable.

EUROFEST is played in seven handball halls with the epicentre of events at the BONIFIK sports centre and two prefabricated playgrounds.

A traditional playground on Ukmar Square by the sea, since last year, has been joined by an assembly playground on Tito Square.

The fact is that such a downtown playground, which provides an incredible backdrop, is nowhere else to go, “Baric says of the new acquisition. Proof of this is the reactions of participants who are excited about the events, infrastructure, offer and pulse in the city, which during the festival turns into a city of young athletes. Next year, from July 2 to July 7, handball will be felt in Koper, from morning till evening.

EUROFEST has been recognized as the largest handball event for young people in this part of Europe. And why is he so special? Because it is much more than a handball tournament with over 3000 athletes and followers from 20 different countries of the world. In recent years, to meet all the criteria for one top event, it has been necessary to limit the number of teams registered to 200.

The team around Tone Baric put a lot of effort into organizing evenings and social events during EUROFEST. The introduction to the festival is a spectacular opening, a parade of participating countries to Ukmar Central Square, where the fun begins and ends by the last competitive day. The tournament provides valuable life and sports experiences for the youngest in the mini category, but it is also the age of younger and older pioneers and cadets, cadets, juniors and seniors who are role models for young athletes.

Before the summer spectacle in Koper, Koper and Izola will host the 7th International Easter KOPER Cup Tournament (10-12.4.2020). The organizer expects 115 registered teams for which he prepares a colourful hand-painted Easter weekend on the Slovenian coast. This season, the novelty will be playing wheelchair handball, a sport that has been given full attention by the European Handball Federation.